Falling Stars and Cigarettes

A Lot Like Pride

"Sibley, you need to go to sleep." he said. She looked up from her book.

"I-i'm okay." she said. He felt bad. He knew she was frightened of further nightmares and he didn't want that for her either, but she really didn't have any other choice.

"What could I do to help you sleep?" he asked. She smiled slightly at the offer, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"Nothing, I don't think." she muttered. He cringed at the failed grammar but didn't comment on it. Instead he stood up and walked out of the room, after a moment he came back, blanket and pillow in his hands. He tossed them at her and she sighed, but got herself settled on the couch. He flicked off the lights and pulled the chair the clients normally sit on next to the couch. She frowned at the image of his silhouette, confused. He then reached out and began to run his fingers softly through her hair, beginning to soothe her.

"I'm right here, you're safe and you can go to sleep, I won't leave. I'll wake you up if you begin to have another nightmare." he promised. She yawned, nodding under his hand and slowly began to fall asleep.

~~~

Sibley woke up on the couch and true to his word, Sherlock hadn't left, he did move, but only to his arm chair where he himself was fast asleep. John was sitting in his chair in silence but she did catch him smirking at the two of them before going back to his paper. She groaned and stretched out before sitting up, pushing her blanket to the side and walking into the kitchen where she made coffee.

"Dad," she said, voice soft as she nudged him awake, mug of black coffee in her free hand. His eyes shot open and he sat up. He was an extremely light sleeper. She held his coffee out to him and he took it, grunting thank you, which surprised John because when did Sherlock use manners, but whatever. Sibley pulled her computer to her and clicked onto Tumblr, another of the many things she used to pass the time.

Hours later, John was out getting groceries, Sherlock had solved at least three cases from inside the flat, and Sibley was dying of boredom. She huffed, closing her laptop and looked around. She may not have been a genius, but she did have an imagination, there had to be something she could plan up.

After several moments, she came up with nothing, but then her eyes landed on her father's favorite instrument. She looked over at him, then back at the violin.

"Hey, Dad..." she said smiling over at him.

"Yes?" he asked, not looking up from the computer screen.

"Wanna teach me how to play the violin?" she asked. He looked up from the computer instantly, then smiled.

~~~

John walked into the flat, carrying in the groceries that had originally just been sitting in his girlfriends flat as he needed time away from the Holmes and their boredom. He heard the familiar sound of Sherlock playing the violin and smiled. He did enjoy listening to him play, he was rather good at it. This time it wasn't as fluid and clean as Sherlock normally was, but it wasn't too far off.

When he got up the stairs to see that it wasn't Sherlock playing, but Sibley, he was surprised. Sherlock was watching her from his chair with a smile that looked a lot like pride, and she was staring hard at the instrument in her hands as she moved the bow. When she stopped, John clapped.

"Brilliant! Did you just learn that?" he asked. She blushed and nodded.

"Yes. You did mess up a few notes but that was rather good, Sibley," Sherlock praised. She grinned in excitement, wanting nothing but to please her father. John smiled at Sherlock's words, he was slowly learning, it seemed.

"Hold on, you're telling me that in the last nine hours you learned that?" John asked in amazement. She shrugged and nodded, putting the violin back in its case. John was shocked. First, Sibley was using Sherlock's violin, his most prized possession. Second, she learned it insanely quickly, impossibly quickly. Third, Sherlock had complimented her even though she hadn't been perfect. Fourth, Sherlock was proud and showing his pride as he spoke about how well she did.

"That was very quick. Seems she has a knack." he said.

"Yes she does." John sputtered. Sibley was bright red by now, clearly not used to being complimented, but she seemed to be enjoying it all the same.

"Well, now that you're here John, I have an errand to run." with that Sherlock stood and rushed out the door. John and Sibley shared a look and she just shrugged.

~~~

Sherlock came in around an hour later, a violin case in hand. He handed it to her without word and turned to walk into the kitchen to begin an experiment. She watched him, surprised, and then turned back to the case now in her hands. John watched, curious to see what her new instrument looked like. She slowly opened the clasps on the ends of the case and pushed it open. n, inside was a shiny light blue violin, it was beautiful. She pulled it out and held it in her hands.

"Dad..." she said softly. He walked over to the doorframe and leaned on it.

"This is too expensive. We don't have this much money," she muttered.

"I'm a famous detective, we have plenty. Think of it as all the late birthdays and Christmases," he said. She set it back in its case and ran over to hug him.

"Thank you!" she pulled away, "Teach me more?" she asked. He smirked and walked over to his own violin. There, they began playing.